Public’s faith in military authorities shaken after Cheonan sinking

Posted on : 2010-04-12 13:12 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
A poll also indicates that 58 percent of South Koreans feel the ruling government’s response to the sinking of the Cheonan has been inadequate
 April 11.
April 11.

The results of a survey reveal that six out of ten South Koreans regard several announcements made by military officials about the sinking of the Cheonan with distrust. Moreover, more citizens agree with the principle of “restraining the unilateral actions of the ruling government” over “increasing the scale of governmental power to promote the stability of national affairs” ahead of the June 2 regional elections.

In a survey conducted Saturday by Research Plus at the behest of the Hankyoreh, 59.9 percent of those surveyed say they do not trust the military’s statements issued on the findings of its investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan. Only 34.9 percent say that they trust the military officials. Some 57.9 percent also said that the ruling government has not responded effectively to the stinking of the Cheonan, while only 34.3 percent said they think the government has carried out an effective response.

In conjunction with the June 2 regional elections, 43.7 percent say they agree with the opposition’s call for support to restrain the ruling party’s unilateral behavior. Conversely, 29.0 percent say they agree with the opinion that the ruling party should be given more power to promote the stability of national affairs.

In regards to the negotiations underway between the four opposition parties to present unified candidates for the June 2 regional elections, including the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), 46.1 percent are in agreement, outnumbering 26.9 percent who are opposed.

President Lee Myung-bak’s approval rating slightly dipped to 47.7 percent, which was 1.2 percentage points lower than his 48.9 approval rating calculated from a poll conducted on Jan. 12.

The poll was conducted nationwide on 1,000 men and women over the age of 19, and the results indicate a margin of error plus or minus 3.1 percent at a confidence level of 95 percent.

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